Senator Ali Ndume has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the President is surrounded by officials he described as incapable of effectively managing government affairs.
Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, said the situation could continue to expose the administration to avoidable controversies and embarrassment unless the President takes decisive action.
The senator made the remarks during an interview on Wednesday while commenting on the recent discovery of purported government agencies operating within the Presidency.
His comments followed revelations surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), one of the purported agencies recently brought under scrutiny.
The controversy reportedly came to light following developments from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, which raised questions about the existence and operations of the purported council.
Ndume faulted the administration for what he described as the growing influence of “kakistocrats” a term referring to people considered to be among the least qualified to govern — within the Presidency.
According to him, the presence of such officials has contributed to recurring administrative failures and controversies surrounding the government.
“President Tinubu has too many kakistocrats that dominate the Presidency. Unless he does something about it, they will keep messing him up.
“It is now a known thing that Nigeria has fake agencies that operate with offices. If the President had capable hands, all these mess and embarrassments wouldn’t be happening.
“And after the ICPC investigated, they discovered even more, and now you have Permanent Secretaries also in the Presidency who had to be suspended. The President is still not taking appropriate action on all these,” Ndume said.
The senator’s remarks come amid an ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into the purported PFIPC and allegations surrounding how it gained access to government structures.
The investigation has also brought the role of public officials into focus, with questions being raised about administrative oversight and the procedures through which government entities are established and recognised.
Ndume’s criticism adds to growing calls for stronger internal checks within the administration, particularly to prevent unauthorised entities and questionable activities from operating within government institutions.
The senator maintained that unless the President addresses what he considers weaknesses within his team, similar controversies could continue to undermine public confidence in the administration.
